CA.ROL 


aiEfoJ 


University  of  California  •  Berkeley 

Gift  of 
Mrs.    James   C.    Keesling,    Jr. 


US - 


-/ 

f/r* 


w 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 


r«///fj^niiiTfm^ 

•WPCTWSfl^^^^^^^^^ 

"THE    LITTLE    RUGGLESES    BORE    IT    BRAVELY."     Page  42. 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 


BY 


KATE   DOUGLAS  WIGGIN 


BOSTON    AND   NEW   YORK 
HOUGHTON,  MIFFLIN   AND   COMPANY 


1889 


Copyright,  1886, 
BY  KATE  DOUGLAS  WIGGIN. 

Copyright,  1888, 
BY  HOUGHTON,  MIFFLIN  &  CO. 

All  rights  reserved. 


The  Riverside  Press,  Cambridge; 
Electrotyped  and  Printed  by  H.  0.  Houghton  &  Co. 


To 

t  Wytzt  IBeawst  (EfjilBrm  in  tJje  ffllarlti, 
BERTHA,  LUCY,  AND  HORATIO. 


"  0  little  ones,  ye  cannot  know 

The  power  with  which  ye  plead, 
Nor  why9  as  on  through  life  we  go> 
The  little  child  doth  lead." 


CONTENTS  AND  LIST  OF  ILLUSTEATIONS. 


"  The  little  Ruggleses  bore  it  bravely "              .         .         Frontispiece 
Vignette Title 

PAGE 

I.   A  LITTLE  SNOW-BIRD 9 

"  She  is  a  little  Christmas  child  " 14 

II.   DROOPING  WINGS 16 

III.  THE  BIRD'S  NEST 21 

Carol  at  her  Window 27 

IV.  "BIRDS   OF   A   FEATHER   FLOCK    TOGETHER"     .  .  .  .28 

The  "  Window  School " 37 

V.  SOME  OTHER  BIRDS  ARE  TAUGHT  TO  FLY   ....   38 

"  /  want  ter  see  how  yer  goin*  ter  behave "  .         .         .44 

VI.  "WHEN  THE  PIE  WAS  OPENED,) 

v       ......        OU 

THE   BIRDS   BEGAN   TO   SING"    ) 

"  The  Ruggleses  never  forgot  it" 54 

"  I  beat  the  hull  lot  o'  yer  " 62 

VII.     THE   BlRDLING   FLIES   AWAY 63 

"My  Ain  Countree" 64 

"  I  thought  of  the  Star  in  the  East" 67 


The  Birds'  Christmas  Carol. 


A   LITTLE    SNOW   BIRD. 

IT  was  very  early  Christmas  morning,  and  in 
the  stillness  of  the  dawn,  with  the  soft  snow 
falling  on  the  housetops,  a  little  child  was 
born  in  the  Bird  household. 

They  had  intended  to  name  the  baby  Lucy,  if  it  were 
a  girl;  but  they  hadn't  expected  her  on  Christmas 
morning,  and  a  real  Christmas  baby  was  not  to  be 
lightly  named — the  whole  family  agreed  in  that. 

They  were  consulting  about  it  in  the  nursery.  Mr. 
Bird  said  that  he  had  assisted  in  naming  the  three 
boys,  and  that  he  should  leave  this  matter  entirely  to 
Mrs.  Bird;  Donald  wanted  the  child  called  "Maud," 
after  a  pretty  little  curly-haired  girl  who  sat  next 
him  in  school;  Paul  chose  "Luella,"  for  Luella  was 
the  nurse  who  had  been  with  him  during  his  whole 


10  THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL. 

babyhood,  up  to  the  time  of  his  first  trousers,  and  the 
name  suggested  all  sorts  of  comfortable  things.  Uncle 
Jack  said  that  the  first  girl  should  always  be  named  for 
her  mother,  no  matter  how  hideous  the  name  happened 
to  be. 

Grandma  said  that  she  would  prefer  not  to  take  any 
part  in  the  discussion,  and  everybody  suddenly  remem- 
bered that  Mrs.  Bird  had  thought  of  naming  the  baby 
Lucy,  for  Grandma  herself;  and,  while  it  would  be 
indelicate  for  her  to  favor  that  name,  it  would  be 
against  human  nature  for  her  to  suggest  any  other, 
under  the  circumstances. 

Hugh,  the  "  hitherto  baby,"  if  that  is  a  possible 
term,  sat  in  one  corner  and  said  nothing,  but  felt,  in 
some  mysterious  way,  that  his  nose  was  out  of  joint; 
for  there  was  a  newer  baby  now,  a  possibility  he  had 
never  taken  into  consideration;  and  the  " first  girl," 
too,  a  still  higher  development  of  treason,  which  made 
him  actually  green  with  jealousy. 

But  it  was  too  profound  a  subject  to  be  settled  then 
and  there,  on  the  spot;  besides,  Mama  had  not  been 
asked,  and  everybody  felt  it  rather  absurd,  after  all, 
to  forestall  a  decree  that  was  certain  to  be  absolutely 
^  just  and  perfect. 


THE  BIBDS'  CHBISTMAS  CABOL.  11 

The  reason  that  the  subject  had  been  brought  up  at 
all  so  early  in  the  day  lay  in  the  fact  that  Mrs.  Bird 
never  allowed  her  babies  to  go  over  night  unnamed. 
She  was  a  person  of  so  great  decision  of  character  that 
she  would  have  blushed  at  such  a  thing;  she  said  that 
to  let  blessed  babies  go  dangling  and  dawdling  about 
without  names,  for  months  and  months,  was  enough  to 
ruin  them  for  life.  She  also  said  that  if  one  could  not 
make  up  one's  mind  in  twenty-four  hours  it  was  a  sign 
that — but  I  will  not  repeat  the  rest,  as  it  might  preju- 
dice you  against  the  most  charming  woman  in  the 
world. 

So  Donald  took  his  new  velocipede  and  went  out  to 
ride  up  and  down  the  stone  pavement  and  notch  the 
shins  of  innocent  people  as  they  passed  by,  while  Paul 
spun  his  musical  top  on  the  front  steps. 

But  Hugh  refused  to  leave  the  scene  of  action.  He 
seated  himself  on  the  top  stair  in  the  hall,  banged  his 
head  against  the  railing  a  few  times,  just  by  way  of 
uncorking  the  vials  of  his  wrath,  and  then  subsided 
into  gloomy  silence,  waiting  to  declare  war  if  more 
" first  girl  babies"  were  thrust  upon  a  family  already 
surfeited  with  that  unnecessary  article. 

Meanwhile  dear  Mrs.  Bird  lay  in  her  room,  weak,  but 


12  THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL. 

safe  and  happy  with  her  sweet  girl  baby  by  her  side 
and  the  heaven  of  motherhood  opening  before  her. 
Nurse  was  making  gruel  in  the  kitchen,  and  the  room 
was  dim  and  quiet.  There  was  a  cheerful  open  fire 
in  the  grate,  but  though  the  shutters  were  closed,  the 
side  windows  that  looked  out  on  the  Church  of  our 
Saviour,  next  door,  were  wide  open. 

Suddenly  a  sound  of  music  poured  out  into  the  bright 
air  and  drifted  into  the  chamber.  It  was  the  boy-choir 
singing  Christmas  anthems.  Higher  and  higher  rose 
the  clear,  fresh  voices,  full  of  hope  and  cheer,  as  chil- 
dren's voices  always  are.  Fuller  and  fuller  grew  the 
burst  of  melody  as  one  glad  strain  fell  upon  another  in 
joyful  harmony: 

"  Carol,  brothers,  carol, 

Carol  joyfully, 
Carol  the  good  tidings, 

Carol  merrily ! 
And  pray  a  gladsome  Christmas 

For  all  your  fellow-men; 
Carol,  brothers,  carol, 

Christmas  Day  again." 

One  verse  followed  another  always  with  the  same 
glad  refrain  * 


THE  BIBBS'  CHEISTMAS  CAROL.  13 

'And  pray  a  gladsome  Christmas 

For  all  your  fellow-men: 
Carol,  brothers,  carol, 

Christmas  Day  again." 

Mrs.  Bird  thought,  as  the  music  floated  in  upon  her 
gentle  sleep,  that  she  had  slipped  into  heaven  with  her 
new  baby,  and  that  the  angels  were  bidding  them  wel- 
come. But  the  tiny  bundle  by  her  side  stirred  a  little, 
and  though  it  was  scarcely  more  than  the  ruffling  of  a 
feather,  she  awoke;  for  the  mother-ear  is  so  close  to  the 
heart  that  it  can  hear  the  faintest  whisper  of  a  child. 

She  opened  her  eyes  and  drew  the  baby  closer.  It 
looked  like  a  rose  dipped  in  milk,  she  thought,  this 
pink  and  white  blossom  of  girlhood,  or  like  a  pink 
cherub,  with  its  halo  of  pale  yellow  hair,  finer  than 
floss  silk. 

"  Carol,  brothers,  carol, 

Carol  joyfully, 
Carol  the  good  tidings, 
Carol  merrily ! ' ' 

The  voices  were  brimming  over  with  joy. 

c(  Why,  my  baby,"  whispered  Mrs.  Bird  in  soft  sur- 
prise, "  I  had  forgotten  what  day  it  was.     You  are  a 
little  Christmas  child,  and  we  will  name  you  '  Carol  '- 
mother's  little  Christmas  Carol ! " 


14  THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL. 

"  What ! "  said  Mr.  Bird,  coming  in  softly  and  closing 
the  door  behind  him. 

"Why,  Donald,  don't  you  think  'Carol'  is  a  sweet 
name  for  a  Christmas  baby?  It  came  to  me  just  a 
moment  ago  in  the  singing  as  I  was  lying  here  half 
asleep  and  half  awake." 

' '  I  think  it  is  a  charming  name,  dear  heart,  and  that 
it  sounds  just  like  you,  and  I  hope  that,  being  a  girl, 
this  baby  has  some  chance  of  being  as  lovely  as  her 
mother,"  at  which  speech  from  the  baby's  papa,  Mrs. 
Bird,  though  she  was  as  weak  and  tired  as  she  could 
be,  blushed  with  happiness. 

And  so  Carol  came  by  her  name. 

Of  course,  it  was  thought  foolish  by  many  people, 
though  Uncle  Jack  declared  laughingly  that  it  was  very 
strange  if  a  whole  family  of  Birds  could  not  be  indulged 
in  a  single  Carol;  and  Grandma,  who  adored  the  child, 
thought  the  name  much  more  appropriate  than  Lucy, 
but  was  glad  that  people  would  probably  think  it  short 
for  Caroline. 

Perhaps  because  she  was  born  in  holiday  time,  Carol 
was  a  very  happy  baby.  Of  course,  she  was  too  tiny 
to  understand  the  joy  of  Christmas-tide,  but  people  say 
there  is  everything  in  a  good  beginning,  and  she  may 


'SHE    IS   A    LITTLE    CHRISTMAS    CHILD"     Page  I  5. 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL.  15 

have  breathed-in  unconsciously  the  fragrance  of  ever- 
greens and  holiday  dinners;  while  the  peals  of  sleigh- 
bells  and  the  laughter  of  happy  children  may  have 
fallen  upon  her  baby  ears  and  wakened  in  them  a  glad 
surprise  at  the  merry  world  she  had  come  to  live  in. 

Her  cheeks  and  lips  were  as  red  as  holly  berries; 
her  hair  was  for  all  the  world  the  color  of  a  Christmas 
candle-flame;  her  eyes  were  bright  as  stars;  her  laugh 
like  a  chime  of  Christmas  bells,  and  her  tiny  hands 
forever  outstretched  in  giving. 

Such  a  generous  little  creature  you  never  saw!  A 
spoonful  of  bread  and  milk  had  always  to  be  taken  by 
Mama  or  nurse  before  Carol  could  enjoy  her  supper; 
and  whatever  bit  of  cake  or  sweetmeat  found  its  way 
into  her  pretty  fingers,  it  was  straightway  broken  in 
half  and  shared  with  Donald,  Paul  or  Hugh;  and,  when 
they  made  believe  nibble  the  morsel  with  affected 
enjoyment,  she  would  clap  her  hands  and  crow  with 
delight.  "Why  does  she  do  it?"  asked  Donald, 
thoughtfully;  "None  of  us  boys  ever  did."  "I  hardly 
know,"  said  Mama,  catching  her  darling  to  her  heart, 
"  except  that  she  is  a  little  Christmas  child,  and  so  she 
has  a  tiny  share  of  the  blessedest  birthday  the  world 
ever  saw!" 


II. 

DROOPING   WINGS. 

T  was  December,  ten  years  later.  Carol  had 
seen  nine  Christmas  trees  lighted  on  her 
birthdays,  one  after  another;  nine  times  she 
had  assisted  in  the  holiday  festivities  of  the  household, 
though  in  her  babyhood  her  share  of  the  gayeties  was 
somewhat  limited. 

For  five  years,  certainly,  she  had  hidden  presents  for 
Mama  and  Papa  in  their  own  bureau  drawers,  and  har- 
bored a  number  of  secrets  sufficiently  large  to  burst 
a  baby's  brain,  had  it  not  been  for  the  relief  gained  by 
whispering  them  all  to  Mama,  at  night,  when  she  was 
in  her  crib,  a  proceeding  which  did  not  in  the  least 
lessen  the  value  of  a  secret  in  her  innocent  mind. 

For  five  years  she  had  heard  ' '  'Twas  the  night  before 
Christmas,"  and  hung  up  a  scarlet  stocking  many  sizes 
too  large  for  her,  and  pinned  a  sprig  of  holly  on  her 
little  white  night  gown,  to  show  Santa  Claus  that  she 
was  a  "  truly "  Christmas  child,  and  dreamed  of  fur- 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROI,,  17 

coated  saints  and  toy-packs  and  reindeer,  and  wished 
everybody  a  "  Merry  Christmas  "  before  it  was  light  in 
the  morning,  and  lent  every  one  of  her  new  toys  to  the 
neighbors'  children  before  noon,  and  eaten  turkey  and 
plum  pudding,  and  gone  to  bed  at  night  in  a  trance  of 
happiness  at  the  day's  pleasures. 

Donald  was  away  at  college  now.  Paul  and  Hugh 
were  great  manly  fellows,  taller  than  their  mother. 
Papa  Bird  had  grey  hairs  in  his  whiskers;  and  Grand- 
ma, God  bless  her,  had  been  four  Christmases  in 
heaven.  But  Christmas  in  the  Birds'  Nest  was  scarcely 
as  merry  now  as  it  used  to  be  in  the  bygone  years,  for 
the  little  child  that  once  brought  such  an  added  bless- 
ing to  the  day,  lay,  month  after  month,  a  patient,  help- 
less invalid,  in  the  room  where  she  was  born. 

She  had  never  been  very  strong  in  body,  and  it  was 
with  a  pang  of  terror  her  mother  and  father  noticed, 
soon  after  she  was  five  years  old,  that  she  began  to 
limp,  ever  so  slightly;  to  complain  too  often  of  weari- 
ness, and  to  nestle  close  to  her  mother,  saying  she 
(( would  rather  not  go  out  to  play,  please."  The  illness 
was  slight  at  first,  and  hope  was  always  stirring  in  Mrs. 
Bird's  heart.  "  Carol  would  feel  stronger  in  the  sum- 
mer-time;" or,  "She  would  be  better  when  she  had 


18  THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL. 

spent  a  year  in  the  country;"  or,  "  She  would  outgrow 
it;"  or,  "They  would  try  a  new  physician;"  but  by  and 
by  it  came  to  be  all  too  sure  that  no  physician  save 
One  could  make  Carol  strong  again,  and  that  no 
"summer-time"  nor  "country  air,"  unless  it  were  the 
everlasting  summer-time  in  a  heavenly  country,  could 
bring  back  the  little  girl  to  health. 

The  cheeks  and  lips  that  were  once  as  red  as  holly- 
berries  faded  to  faint  pink;  the  star-like  eyes  grew 
softer,  for  they  of  ten  gleamed  through  tears;  and  the 
gay  child-laugh,  that  had  been  like  a  chime  of  Christ- 
mas bells,  gave  place  to  a  smile  so  lovely,  so  touching, 
so  tender  and  patient,  that  it  filled  every  corner  of 
the  house  with  a  gentle  radiance  that  might  have  come 
from  the  face  of  the  Christ-child  himself. 

Love  could  do  nothing;  and  when  we  have  said  that 
we  have  said  all,  for  it  is  stronger  than  anything  else 
in  the  whole  wide  world.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bird  were 
talking  it  over  one  evening  when  all  the  children  were 
asleep.  A  famous  physician  had  visited  them  that 
day,  and  told  them  that  sometime,  it  might  be  in  one 
year,  it  might  be  in  more,  Carol  would  slip  quietly  off 
into  heaven,  whence  she  came. 

"Dear  heart,"  said  Mr.  Bird,  pacing  up  and  down 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL.  19 

the  library  floor,  "it  is  no  use  to  shut  our  eyes  to  it 
any  longer;  Carol  will  never  be  well  again.  It  almost 
seems  as  if  I  could  not  bear  it  when  I  think  of  that 
loveliest  child  doomed  to  lie  there  day  after  day,  and, 
what  is  still  more,  to  suffer  pain  that  we  are  helpless 
to  keep  away  from  her.  Merry  Christmas,  indeed;  it 
gets  to  be  the  saddest  day  in  the  year  to  me !"  and  poor 
Mr.  Bird  sank  into  a  chair  by  the  table,  and  buried  his 
face  in  his  hands,  to  keep  his  wife  from  seeing  the  tears 
that  would  come  in  spite  of  all  his  efforts.  "But, 
Donald,  dear,"  said  sweet  Mrs.  Bird,  with  trembling 
voice,  "Christmas  day  may  not  be  so  merry  with  us  as 
it  used,  but  it  is  very  happy,  and  that  is  better,  and 
very  blessed,  and  that  is  better  yet.  I  suffer  chiefly 
for  Carol's  sake,  but  I  have  almost  given  up  being 
sorrowful  for  my  own.  I  am  too  happy  in  the  child, 
and  I  see  too  clearly  what  she  has  done  for  us  and  for 
our  boys." 

"That's  true,  bless  her  sweet  heart,"  said  Mr.  Bird; 
"  she  has  been  better  than  a  daily  sermon  in  the  house 
ever  since  she  was  born,  and  especially  since  she  was 
taken  ill." 

"Yes,  Donald  and  Paul  and  Hugh  were  three  strong, 
willful,  boisterous  boys,  but  you  seldom  see  such  tender- 


20  THE  BIRDS'  CHEISTMAS  CAROL. 

ness,  devotion,  thought  for  others  and  self-denial  in 
lads  of  their  years.  A  quarrel  or  a  hot  word  is  almost 
unknown  in  this  house.  Why?  Carol  would  hear  it, 
and  it  would  distress  her,  she  is  so  full  of  love  and 
goodness.  The  boys  study  with  all  their  might  and 
main.  "Why?  Partly,  at  least,  because  they  like  to 
teach  Carol,  and  amuse  her  by  telling  her  what  they 
read.  When  the  seamstress  comes,  she  likes  to  sew  in 
Miss  Carol's  room,  because  there  she  forgets  her  own 
troubles,  which,  Heaven  knows,  are  sore  enough! 
And  as  for  me,  Donald,  I  am  a  better  woman  every 
day  for  Carol's  sake;  I  have  to  be  her  eyes,  ears,  feet, 
hands — her  strength,  her  hope;  and  she,  my  own  little 
child,  is  my  example ! " 

' '  I  was  wrong,  dear  heart, "  said  Mr.  Bird  more  cheer- 
fully; "  we  will  try  not  to  repine,  but  to  rejoice  instead, 
that  we  have  an  '  angel  of  the  house '  like  Carol." 

"And  as  for  her  future,"  Mrs.  Bird  went  on,  "I 
think  we  need  not  be  over-anxious.  I  feel  as  if  she 
did  not  belong  altogether  to  us,  and  when  she  has 
done  what  God  sent  her  for,  He  will  take  her  back 
to  Himself — and  it  may  not  be  very  long ! "  Here  it 
was  poor  Mrs.  Bird's  turn  to  break  down,  and  Mr. 
Bird's  turn  to  comfort  her. 


III. 

THE  BIKD'S  NEST. 

ijAROL  herself  knew  nothing  of  motherly  tears 
and  fatherly  anxieties;  she  lived  on  peace- 
fully in  the  room  where  she  was  born. 

But  you  never  would  have  known  that  room;  for  Mr. 
Bird  had  a  great  deal  of  money,  and  though  he  felt 
sometimes  as  if  he  wanted  to  throw  it  all  in  the  ocean, 
since  it  could  not  buy  a  strong  body  for  his  little  girl, 
yet  he  was  glad  to  make  the  place  she  lived  in  just  as 
beautiful  as  it  could  be  made. 

The  room  had  been  extended  by  the  building  of  a 
large  addition  that  hung  out  over  the  garden  below, 
and  was  so  filled  with  windows  that  it  might  have  been 
a  conservatory.  The  ones  on  the  side  were  thus  still 
nearer  the  little  Church  of  our  Saviour  than  they  used 
to  be;  those  in  front  looked  out  on  the  beautiful  har- 
bor, and  those  in  the  back  commanded  a  view  of  noth- 
ing in  particular  but  a  little  alley — nevertheless,  they 
were  pleasantest  of  all  to  Carol,  for  the  Euggles  family 


22  THE  BIEDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL. 

lived  in  the  alley,  and  the  nine  little,  middle-sized  and 
big  Buggies  children  were  the  source  of  inexhaustible 
interest. 

The  shutters  could  all  be  opened  and  Carol  could 
take  a  real  sun-bath  in  this  lovely  glass-house,  or  they 
could  all  be  closed  when  the  dear  head  ached  or  the 
dear  eyes  were  tired.  The  carpet  was  of  soft  grey, 
with  clusters  of  green  bay  and  holly  leaves.  The  fur- 
niture was  of  white  wood,  on  which  an  artist  had  painted 
snow  scenes  and  Christmas  trees  and  groups  of  merry 
children  ringing  bells  and  singing  carols. 

Donald  had  made  a  pretty,  polished  shelf  and  screwed 
it  on  to  the  outside  of  the  footboard,  and  the  boys 
always  kept  this  full  of  blooming  plants,  which  they 
changed  from  time  to  time;  the  head-board,  too,  had  a 
bracket  on  either  side,  where  there  were  pots  of  maiden- 
hair ferns. 

Love-birds  and  canaries  hung  in  their  golden  houses 
in  the  windows,  and  they,  poor  caged  things,  could 
hop  as  far  from  their  wooden  perches  as  Carol  could 
venture  from  her  little  whits  bed. 

On  one  side  of  the  room  was  a  bookcase  filled  with 
hundreds — yes,  I  mean  it — with  hundreds  and  hun- 
dreds of  books;  books  with  gay-colored  pictures,  books 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL.  23 

without;  books  with  black  and  white  outline-sketches, 
books  with  none  at  all;  books  with  verses,  books  with 
stories,  books  that  made  children  laugh,  and  some  that 
made  them  cry;  books  with  words  of  one  syllable  for 
tiny  boys  and  girls,  and  books  with  words  of  fearful 
length  to  puzzle  wise  ones. 

This  was  Carol's  "  Circulating  Library."  Every 
Saturday  she  chose  ten  books,  jotting  their  names 
down  in  a  little  diary;  into  these  she  slipped  cards  that 
said:  "Please  keep  this  book  two  weeks  and  read  it. 
"With  love,  Carol  Bird." 

Then  Mrs.  Bird  stepped  into  her  carriage,  and  took 
the  ten  books  to  the  Childrens'  Hospital,  and  brought 
home  ten  others  that  she  had  left  there  the  fortnight 
before , 

This  was  a  source  of  great  happiness;  for  some  of  the 
Hospital  children  that  were  old  enough  to  print  or 
write,  and  were  strong  enough  to  do  it,  wrote  Carol 
cunning  little  letters  about  the  books,  and  she  answered 
them,  and  they  grew  to  be  friends.  (It  is  very  funny, 
but  you  do  not  always  have  to  see  people  to  love  them 
Just  think  about  it,  and  see  if  it  isn't  so.) 

There  was  a  high  wainscoting  of  wood  about  the 
room,  and  on  top  of  this,  in  a  narrow  gilt  framework, 


24  THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL. 

ran  a  row  of  illuminated  pictures,  illustrating  fairy 
tales,  all  in  dull  blue  and  gold  and  scarlet  and  silver 
and  other  lovely  colors.  From  the  door  to  the  closet 
there  was  the  story  of  "The  Fair  One  with  Golden 
Locks;"  from  closet  to  bookcase,  ran  "Puss  in  Boots;" 
from  bookcase  to  fireplace,  was  "  Jack  the  Giant-killer;" 
and  on  the  other  side  of  the  room  were  "Hop  o'  my 
Thumb,"  "The  Sleeping  Beauty,"  and  "Cinderella." 

Then  there  was  a  great  closet  full  of  beautiful  things 
to  wear — but  they  were  all  dressing-gowns  and  slippers 
and  shawls;  and  there  were  drawers  full  of  toys  and 
games;  but  they  were  such  as  you  could  play  with  on 
your  lap.  There  were  no  ninepins,  nor  balls,  nor  bows 
and  arrows,  nor  bean  bags,  nor  tennis  rackets;  but, 
after  all,  other  children  needed  these  more  than  Carol 
Bird,  for  she  was  always  happy  aad  contented  whatever 
she  had  or  whatever  she  lacked;  and  after  the  room 
had  been  made  so  lovely  for  her,  on  her  eighth  Christ- 
inas, she  always  called  herself,  in  fun,  a  "Bird  of 
Paradise." 

On  these  particular  December  days  she  was  happier 
than  usual,  for  Uncle  Jack  was  coming  from  Europe  to 
spend  the  holidays.  Dear,  funny,  jolly,  loving,  wise 
Uncle  Jack,  who  came  every  two  or  three  years,  and 


THE  BIKDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL.  25 

brought  so  much  joy  with  him  that  the  world  looked  as 
black  as  a  thunder-cloud  for  a  week  after  he  went  away 
again. 

The  mail  had  brought  this  letter  :— 

' '  LONDON,  Nov.  28th,  188—. 

Wish  you  merry  Christmas,  you  clearest  birdlings  in  America! 
Preen  your  feathers,  and  stretch  the  Birds'  nest  a  little,  if  you  please, 
and  let  Uncle  Jack  in  for  the  holidays.  I  am  coming  with  such  a 
trunk  full  of  treasures  that  you'll  have  to  borrow  the  stockings  of 
Barnum's  Giant  and  Giantess;  I  am  coming  to  squeeze  a  certain  little 
lady -bird  until  she  cries  for  mercy;  I  am  coming  to  see  if  I  can  find  a 
boy  to  take  care  of  a  little  black  pony  I  bought  lately.  It's  the 
strangest  thing  I  ever  knew;  I've  hunted  all  over  Europe,  and  can't 
find  a  boy  to  suit  me!  I'll  tell  you  why.  I've  set  my  heart  on  finding 
one  with  a  dimple  in  his  chin,  because  this  pony  particularly  likes 
dimples!  ['Hurrah!'  cried  Hugh;  '  bless  my  dear  dimple;  I'll  never 
be  ashamed  of  it  again/]  Please  drop  a  note  to  the  clerk  of  the 
weather,  and  have  a  good,  rousing  snow-storm — say  on  the  twenty- 
second.  None  of  your  meek,  gentle,  nonsensical,  shilly-shallying 
snow-storms;  not  the  sort  where  the  flakes  float  lazily  down  from  the 
sky  as  if  they  didn't  care  whether  they  ever  got  here  or  not,  and  then 
melt  away  as  soon  as  they  touch  the  earth,  but  a  regular  business-like 
whizzing,  whirring,  blurring,  cutting  snow-storm,  warranted  to  freeze 
and  stay  on ! 

I  should  like  rather  a  LARGE  Christmas  tree,  if  it's  convenient — 
not  one  of  those  'sprigs,'  five  or  six  feet  high,  that  you  used  to  have 
three  or  four  years  ago,  when  the  birdlings  were  not  fairly  feathered 
out,  but  a  tree  of  some  size.  Set  it  up  in  the  garret,  if  necessary,  and 


26  THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL. 

then  we  can  cut  a  hole  in  the  roof  if  the  tree  chances  to  be  too  high 
for  the  room. 

Tell  Bridget  to  begin  to  fatten  a  turkey.  Tell  her  by  the  twen- 
tieth of  December  that  turkey  must  not  be  able  to  stand  on  *ts  legs  for 
fat,  and  then  on  the  next  three  days  she  must  allow  it  to  recline  easily 
on  its  side,  and  stuff  it  to  bursting,  f  One  ounce  of  stuffing  before- 
hand is  worth  a  pound  afterwards. ) 

The  pudding  must  be  unusually  huge,  and  darkly,  deeply,  lugubri- 
ously black  in  color.  It  must  be  stuck  so  full  of  plums  that  the  pud- 
ding itself  will  ooze  out  into  the  pan  and  not  be  brought  on  to  the 
table  at  all.  I  expect  to  be  there  by  the  twentieth,  to  manage  these 
little  things — remembering  it  is  the  early  Bird  that  catches  the  worm 
— but  give  you  the  instructions  in  case  I  should  be  delayed. 

And  Carol  must  decide  on  the  size  of  the  tree — she  knows  best,  she 
was  a  Christmas  child;  and  she  must  plead  for  the  snow-storm — the 
'clerk  of  the  weather'  may  pay  some  attention  to  her;  and  she  must 
look  up  the  boy  with  the  dimple  for  me — she's  likelier  to  find  him 
than  I  am,  this  minute.  She  must  advise  about  the  turkey,  and  Bridget 
must  bring  the  pudding  to  her  bedside  and  let  her  drop  every  separate 
plum  into  it  and  stir  it  once  for  luck,  or  I'll  not  eat  a  single  slice — for 
Carol  is  the  dearest  part  of  Christmas  to  Uncle  Jack,  and  he'll  have 
none  of  it  without  her .  She  is  better  than  all  the  turkeys  and  pud- 
dings and  apples  and  spare-ribs  and  wreaths  and  garlands  and  mis- 
tletoe and  stockings  and  chimneys  and  sleigh-bells  in  Christendom. 
She  is  the  very  sweetest  Christmas  Carol  that  was  ever  written,  said, 
sung  or  chanted,  and  I  am  coming,  as  fast  as  ships  and  railway  trains 
can  carry  me,  to  tell  her  so." 

Carol's  joy  knew  no  bounds.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bird 
laughed  like  children  and  kissed  each  other  for  sheer 


THE  BiBDS1  CHRISTMAS  CAROL. 


27 


delight,  and  when  the  boys  heard  it  they  simply 
whooped  like  wild  Indians,  until  the  Ruggles  family, 
whose  back  yard  joined  their  garden,  gathered  at  the 
door  and  wondered  what  was  "up"  in  the  big  house. 


IV. 

"BIEDS  OF  A  FEATHER  FLOCK  TOGETHER.  " 

INGLE  Jack  did  really  come  on  the  twentieth. 
He  was  not  detained  by  business,  nor  did 
he  get  left  behind  nor  snowed  up,  as  fre- 
quently happens  in  stories,  and  in  real  life  too,  I  am 
afraid  The  snow-storm  came  also;  and  the  turkey 
nearly  died  a  natural  and  premature  death  from  over- 
eating. Donald  came,  too;  Donald,  with  a  line  of 
down  upon  his  upper  lip,  and  Greek  and  Latin  on 
his  tongue,  and  stores  of  knowledge  in  his  handsome 
head,  and  stories — bless  me,  you  couldn't  turn  over 
a  chip  without  reminding  Donald  of  something  that 
happened  "  at  College."  One  or  the  other  was  always 
at  Carol's  bedside,  for  they  fancied  her  paler  than 
she  used  to  be,  and  they  could  x  not  bear  her  out  of 
sight.  It  was  Uncle  Jack,  though,  who  sat  beside 
her  in  the  winter  twilights.  The  room  was  quiet, 
and  almost  dark,  save  for  the  snow-light  outside, 
and  the  flickering  flame  of  the  fire,  that  danced  over 


THE  BIKDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAEOL.  29 

the  ' '  Sleeping  Beauty's "  face,  and  touched  the  Fair 
One's  golden  locks  with  ruddier  glory.  Carol's  hand 
(all  too  thin  and  white  these  latter  days)  lay  close 
clasped  in  Uncle  Jack's,  and  they  talked  together 
quietly  of  many,  many  things.  "I  want  to  tell  you 
all  about  my  plans  for  Christmas  this  year,  Uncle 
Jack,"  said  Carol,  on  the  first  evening  of  his  visit, 
"  because  it  will  be  the  loveliest  one  I  ever  had.  The 
boys  laugh  at  me  for  caring  so  much  about  it;  but  it 
isn't  altogether  because  it  is  Christmas  nor  because 
it  is  my  birthday;  but  long,  long  ago,  when  I  first 
began  to  be  ill,  I  used  to  think,  the  first  thing  when 
I  waked  on  Christmas  morning,  '  To-day  is  Christ's 
birthday  -  -  and  mine!'  I  did  not  put  the  words 
close  together,  because  that  made  it  seem  too  bold; 
but  I  first  thought,  '  Christ's  birthday, '  and  then,  in 

a  minute,  softly  to  myself '  and  mine  I '  *  Christ's 

birthday and  mine!"     And   so   I   do    not   quite 

feel  about  Christmas  as  other  girls  do.  Mama  says 
she  supposes  that  ever  so  many  other  children  have 
been  born  on  that  day.  I  often  wonder  where  they 
are,  Uncle  Jack,  and  whether  it  is  a  dear  thought  to 
them,  too,  or  whether  I  am  so  much  in  bed,  and  so 
often  alone,  that  it  means  more  to  me.  Oh,  I  do  hope 


30  THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

that  none  of  them  are  poor,  or  cold,  or  hungry;  and  I 
wish,  I  wish  they  were  all  as  happy  as  I,  because  they 
are  my  little  brothers  and  sisters.  Now,  Uncle  Jack, 
dear,  I  am  going  to  try  and  make  somebody  happy 
every  single  Christmas  that  I  live,  and  this  year  it  is 
to  be  the  e  Ruggleses  in  the  rear.' " 

"That  large  and  interesting  brood  of  children  in 
the  little  house  at  the  end  of  the  back  garden  ?  ' 

"Yes;  isn't  it  nice  to  see  so  many  together?  We 
ought  to  call  them  the  Euggles  children,  of  course; 
but  Donald  began  talking  of  them  as  the  i  Kuggleses 
in  the  rear,'  and  Papa  and  Mama  took  it  up,  and  now 
we  cannot  seem  to  help  it.  The  house  was  built  for 
Mr.  Carter's  coachman,  but  Mr.  Carter  lives  in  Europe, 
and  the  gentleman  who  rents  his  place  doesn't  care 
what  happens  to  it,  and  so  this  poor  Irish  family  came 
to  live  there  When  they  first  moved  in,  I  used  to  sit 
in  my  window  and  watch  them  play  in  their  backyard; 
they  are  so  strong,  and  jolly,  and  good-natured;  and 
then,  one  day,  I  had  a  terrible  headache,  and  Donald 
asked  them  if  they  would  please  not  scream  quite  so 
loud,  and  they  explained  that  they  were  having  a  game 
of  circus,  but  that  they  would  change  and  play  '  Deaf 
and  Dumb  School'  all  the  afternoon.' 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL.  31 

'Ha,  ha,  ha!"  laughed  Uncle  Jack,  "what  an  oblig- 
ing family,  to  be  sure." 

' c  Yes,  we  all  thought  it  very  funny,  and  I  smiled  at 
them  from  the  window  when  I  was  well  enough  to  be 
up  again.  Now,  Sarah  Maud  comes  to  her  door  when 
the  children  come  home  from  school,  and  if  Mama 
nods  her  head,  '  Yes,'  that  means  '  Carol  is  very  well,' 
and  then  you  ought  to  hear  the  little  Euggleses  yell 
—I  believe  they  try  to  see  how  much  noise  they  can 
make;  but  if  Mama  shakes  her  head,  'No,'  they  always 
play  at  quiet  games.  Then,  one  day,  '  Gary,'  my  pet 
canary,  flew  out  of  her  cage,  and  Peter  Buggies  caught 
her  and  brought  her  back,  and  I  had  him  up  here  in 
my  room  to  thank  him." 

"  Is  Peter  the  oldest?" 

"No;  Sarah  Maud  is  the  oldest — she  helps  do  the 
washing;  and  Peter  is  the  next.  He  is  a  dressmaker's 
boy." 

"  And  which  is  the  pretty  little  red-haired  girl  ?  " 

"  That's  Kitty." 

' '  And  the  fat  youngster  ?  " 

"  Baby  Larry." 

f  '  And  that  freckled  one  ?  " 

"  Now,  don't  laugh— that's  Peoria!" 


32  THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL. 

"Carol,  you  are  joking." 

"No,  really,  Uncle  dear.  She  was  born  in  Peoria; 
that's  all." 

"And  is  the  next  boy  Oshkosh  ?  " 

"No,"  laughed  Carol,  "the  others  are  Susan,  and 
Clement,  and  Eily,  and  Cornelius." 

"How  did  you  ever  learn  all  their  names ? " 

"Well,  I  have  what  I  call  a  '  window-school.'  It  is 
too  cold  now;  but  in  warm  weather  I  am  wheeled  out 
on  my  little  balcony,  and  the  Kuggleses  climb  up  and 
walk  along  our  garden  fence,  and  sit  down  on  the  roof 
of  our  carriage-house.  That  brings  them  quite  near, 
and  I  read  to  them  and  tell  them  stories ;  On  Thanks- 
giving Day  they  came  up  for  a  few  minutes,  it  was 
quite  warm  at  eleven  o'clock,  and  we  told  each  other 
what  we  had  to  be  thankful  for;  but  they  gave  such 
queer  answers  that  Papa  had  to  run  away  for  fear  of 
laughing;  and  I  couldn't  understand  them  very  well. 
Susan  was  thankful  for  'trunks,'  of  all  things  in  the 
world;  Cornelius,  for  'horse  <jars;'  Kitty,  for  'pork 
steak;'  while  Clem,  who  is  very  quiet,  brightened  up 
when  I  came  to  him,  and  said  he  was  thankful  for  '  his 
lame  puppy.'  Wasn't  that  pretty  ?  " 

"It  might  teach  some  of  us  a  lesson,  mightn't  it, 
little  girl?" 


THE  BIKDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL.  33 

"That's  what  Mama  said.  Now  I'm  going  to  give 
this  whole  Christmas  to  the  Kuggleses;  and,  Uncle 
Jack,  I  earned  part  of  the  money  myself." 

"You,  my  bird;  how?" 

"  Well,  you  see,  it  could  not  be  my  own,  own  Christ- 
mas if  Papa  gave  me  all  the  money,  and  I  thought  to 
really  keep  Christ's  birthday  I  ought  to  do  something 
of  my  very  own;  and  so  I  talked  with  Mama.  Of 
course  she  thought  of  something  lovely;  she  always 
does;  Mama's  head  is  just  brimming  over  with  lovely 
thoughts,  and  all  I  have  to  do  is  ask,  and  out  pops  the 
very  one  I  want.  This  thought  was,  to  let  her  write 
down,  just  as  I  told  her,  a  description  of  how  a  little 
girl  lived  in  her  own  room  three  years,  and  what  she 
did  to  amuse  herself;  and  we  sent  it  to  a  magazine  and 
got  twenty-five  dollars  for  it.  Just  think ! " 

"Well,  well,"  cried  Uncle  Jack,  "my  little  girl  a 
real  author !  And  what  are  you  going  to  do  with  this 
wonderful  e  own  '  money  of  yours  ?  " 

"I  shall  give  the  nine  Kuggleses  a  grand  Christmas 
dinner  here  in  this  very  room — that  will  be  Papa's  con- 
tribution, and  afterwards  a  beautiful  Christmas  tree, 
fairly  blooming  with  presents — that  will  be  my  part; 
for  I  have  another  way  of  adding  to  my  twenty-five 


34  THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL. 

dollars,  so  that  I  can  buy  everything  I  like.  I  should 
like  it  very  much  if  you  would  sit  at  the  head  of  the 
table,  Uncle  Jack,  for  nobody  could  ever  be  fright- 
ened of  you,  you  dearest,  dearest,  dearest  thing  thai 
ever  was !  Mama  is  going  to  help  us,  but  Papa  and  the 
boys  are  going  to  eat  together  down  stairs  for  fear 
of  making  the  little  Kuggleses  shy;  and  after  we've  had 
a  merry  time  with  the  tree  we  can  open  my  window  and 
all  listen  together  to  the  music  at  the  evening  church- 
service,  if  it  comes  before  the  children  go.  I  have 
written  a  letter  to  the  organist,  and  asked  him  if  I 
might  have  the  two  songs  I  like  best.  Will  you  see  if 
it  is  all  right?" 

"BiEDs'  NEST,  Dec.  21st,  188—. 

DEAR  MB.  WILKEE, — I  am  the  little  sick  girl  who  lives  next  door  to 
the  church,  and,  as  I  seldom  go  out,  the  music  on  practice  days  and 
Sundays  is  one  of  my  greatest  pleasures. 

I  want  to  know  if  you  can  let  the  boys  sing  i  Carol,  brothers,  carol,' 
on  Christmas  night,  and  if  the  one  who  sings  'My  ain  countree'  so 
beautifully  may  please  sing  that  too.  I  think  it  is  the  loveliest  song 
in  the  world,  but  it  always  makes  me  cry ;  does'nt  it  you  ? 

If  it  isn't  too  much  trouble,  I  hope  they  can  sing  them  both  quite 
early,  as  after  ten  o'clock  I  may  be  asleep. — Yours  respectfully, 

CABOL  BIBD. 

P.S. — The  reason  I  like  'Carol,  brothers,  carol,'  is  because  the 
choir-boys  sang  it  eleven  years  ago,  the  morning  I  was  born,  and  put  it 


THE  BIBBS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL.  35 

into  Mama's  head  to  call  me  Carol.  She  didn't  remember  then  that 
my  other  name  would  be  Bird,  because  she  was  half  asleep,  and 
couldn't  think  of  but  one  thing  at  a  time.  Donald  says  if  I  had  been 
born  on  the  Fourth  of  July  they  would  have  named  me  '  Independ- 
ence, '  or  if  on  the  twenty-second  of  February,  *  Georgina, '  or  even 
'  Cherry,'  like  Cherry  in  Martin  Chuzzlewit;  but  I  like  my  own  name 
and  birthday  best . — Yours  truly, 

CAROL  BIRD." 

Uncle  Jack  thought  the  letter  quite  right,  and  did 
not  even  smile  at  her  telling  the  organist  so  many 
family  items.  The  days  flew  by,  as  they  always  fly  in 
holiday  time,  and  it  was  Christmas  eve  before  anybody 
knew  it.  The  family  festival  was  quiet  and  very 
pleasant,  but  quite  swallowed  up  in  the  grander  pre- 
parations for  next  day.  Carol  and  Elfrida,  her  pretty 
German  nurse,  had  ransacked  books,  and  introduced 
so  many  plans,  and  plays,  and  customs  and  merry- 
makings from  Germany,  and  Holland,  and  England  and 
a  dozen  other  places,  that  you  would  scarcely  have 
known  how  or  where  you  were  keeping  Christmas. 
The  dog  and  the  cat  had  enjoyed  their  celebration 
tinder  Carol's  direction.  Each  had  a  tiny  table  with  a 
lighted  candle  in  the  center,  and  a  bit  of  Bologna 
sausage  placed  very  near  it,  and  everybody  laughed 
till  the  tears  stood  in  their  eyes  to  see  Villikins  and 


36  THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL. 

Dinah,  struggle  to  nibble  the  sausages,  and  at  the  same 
time  evade  the  candle  flame.  Villikins  barked,  and 
sniffed,  and  howled  in  impatience,  and  after  many  vain 
attempts  succeeded  in  dragging  off  the  prize,  though 
he  singed  his  nose  in  d&ing  it.  Dinah,  meanwhile, 
watched  him  placidly,  her  delicate  nostrils  quivering 
with  expectation,  and,  after  all  excitement  had  sub- 
sided, walked  with  dignity  to  the  table,  her  beautiful 
gray  satin  trail  sweeping  behind  her,  and,  calmly 
putting  up  one  velvet  paw,  drew  the  sausage  gently 
down,  and  walked  out  of  the  room  without  c '  turning  a 
hair,"  so  to  speak.  Elfrida  had  scattered  handfuls  of 
seeds  over  the  snow  in  the  garden,  that  the  wild  birds 
might  have  a  comfortable  breakfast  next  morning,  and 
had  stuffed  bundles  of  dried  grasses  in  the  fireplaces, 
so  that  the  reindeer  of  Santa  Claus  could  refresh  them- 
selves after  their  long  gallops  across  country.  This 
was  really  only  done  for  fun,  but  it  pleased  Carol. 

And  when,  after  dinner,  the  whole  family  had  gone 
to  church  to  see  the  Christmas  decorations,  Carol 
limped  wearily  out  on  her  little  crutches,  and,  with 
Elfrida's  help,  placed  all  the  family  boots  in  a  row  in 
the  upper  hall.  That  was  to  keep  the  dear  ones  from 
quarreling  all  through  the  year.  There  were  Papa's 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL. 


37 


stout  top  boots;  Mama's  pretty  buttoned  shoes  next; 
then  Uncle  Jack's,  Donald's,  Paul's  and  Hugh's;  and 
at  the  end  of  the  line  her  own  little  white  worsted 
slippers.  Last,  and  sweetest  of  all,  like  the  little 
children  in  Austria,  she  put  a  lighted  candle  in  her 
window  to  guide  the  dear  Christ-child,  lest  he  should 
stumble  in  the  dark  night  as  he  passed  up  the  deserted 
street.  This  done,  she  dropped  into  bed,  a  rather 
tired,  but  very  happy  Christmas  fairy. 


V. 

SOME   OTHER   BIRDS   ARE   TAUGHT    TO   FLY. 

TORE  the  earliest  Buggies  could  wake  and 
toot  liis  five-cent  tin  horn,  Mrs.  Ruggles  was 
up  and  stirring  about  the  house,  for  it  was  a 
gala  day  in  the  family.  Gala  day !  I  should  think  so ! 
Were  not  her  nine  l '  childern  "  invited  to  a  dinner-party 
at  the  great  house,  and  weren't  they  going  to  sit  down 
free  and  equal  with  the  mightiest  in  the  land  ?  She 
had  been  preparing  for  this  grand  occasion  ever  since 
the  receipt  of  the  invitation,  which,  by  the  way,  had 
been  speedily  enshrined  in  an  old  photograph  frame 
and  hung  under  the  looking-glass  in  the  most  promi- 
nent place  in  the  kitchen,  where  it  stared  the  occasional 
visitor  directly  in  the  eye,  and  made  him  pale  with 
envy: 

"  BIBDS'  NEST,  Dec.  17th,  188—. 

DEAB  MES.  BUGGLES, — I  am  going  to  have  a  dinner-party  on  Christ- 
mas day,  and  would  like  to  have  all  your  children  corne.  I  wantthem 
every  one,  please,  from  Sarah  Maud  to  Baby  Larry.  Mama  says 


THE  BIKDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAKOL.  39 

dinner  will  be  at  half -past  five,  and  the  Christmas  tree  at  seven;  so  you 
may  expect  them  home  at  nine  o'clock.  Wishing  you  a  Merry  Christ- 
mas and  a  Happy  New  Year,  I  am,  yours  truly, 

CAROL  BIKD." 

Breakfast  was  on  the  table  promptly  at  seven  o'clock, 
and  there  was  very  little  of  it,  too ;  for  it  was  an  excel- 
lent day  for  short  rations,  though  Mrs.  Kuggles  heaved 
a  sigh  as  she  reflected  that  even  the  boys,  with  their 
India-rubber  stomachs,  would  be  just  as  hungry  the 
day  after  the  dinner-party  as  if  they  had  never  had  any 
at  all. 

As  soon  as  the  scanty  meal  was  over,  she  announced 
the  plan  of  the  campaign :  ' ( Now  Susan,  you  an'  Kitty 
wash  up  the  dishes;  an'  Peter,  can't  you  spread  up  the 
beds,  so't  I  can  git  ter  cuttin'  out  Larry's  new  suit  ?  I 
aint  satisfied  with  his  close,  an'  I  thought  in  the  night 
of  a  way  to  make  him  a  dress  out  of  my  old  plaid 
shawl — kind  o'  Scotch  style,  yer  know.  You  other 
boys  clear  out  from  underfoot!  Clem,  you  and  Con 
hop  into  bed  with  Larry  while  I  wash  yer  underflannins; 
'twont  take  long  to  dry  'em.  Sarah  Maud,  I  think 
'twould  be  perfectly  han'som  if  you  ripped  them  brass 
buttons  off  yer  uncle's  policeman's  coat  an'  sewed  'em 
in  a  row  up  the  front  o'  yer  green  skirt.  Susan,  you 


40  THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL. 

must  iron  out  yours  an'  Kitty's  apurns;  an'  there,  I 
came  mighty  near  forgettin'  Peory's  stockin's!  I 
counted  the  whole  lot  last  night  when  I  was  washin'  of 
'em,  an'  there  aint  but  nineteen  anyhow  yer  fix  'em,  an' 
110  nine  pairs  mates  nohow;  an'  I  aint  goin'  ter  have 
my  childern  wear  odd  stockin's  to  a  dinner-comp'ny, 
brought  up  as  I  was !  Eily,  can't  you  run  out  &nd  ask 
Mis'  Cullen  ter  lend  me  a  pair  o'  stockin's  for  Peory, 
an  tell  her  if  she  will,  Peory  '11  give  Jim  half  her  candy 
when  she  gets  home.  Wont  yer,  Peory  ?  " 

Peoria  was  young  and  greedy,  and  thought  the  rem- 
edy so  much  worse  than  the  disease  that  she  set  up  a 
deafening  howl  at  the  projected  bargain — a  howl  so 
rebellious  and  so  out  of  all  season  that  her  mother 
started  in  her  direction  with  flashing  eye  and  uplifted 
hand;  but  she  let  it  fall  suddenly,  saying,  "No,  I  wont 
lick  ye  Christmas  day,  if  yer  drive  me  crazy;  but  speak 
up  smart,  now,  '11  say  whether  yer'd  ruther  give  Tim 
Cullen  half  yer  candy  or  go  bare-legged  ter  the  party  ?  " 
The  matter  being  put  so  plainly,  Peoria  collected  her 
faculties,  dried  her  tears  and  chose  the  lesser  evil, 
Clem  having  hastened  the  decision  by  an  affectionate 
wink,  that  meant  he'd  go  halves  with  her  on  his  candy. 

"That's  a  lady;"  cried  her  mother.     "Now,  you 


THE  BIRDS'  CHEISTMAS  CAROL.  41 

young  ones  that  aint  doin'  nothin',  play  all  yer  want  ter 
before  noontime,  for  after  ye  git  through  eatin'  at 
twelve  o'clock  me  'n  Sarah  Maud's  goin'  ter  give  yer 
such  a  washin'  an'  combin'  an'  dressin'  as  yer  never  had 
before  an'  never  will  agin,  an'  then  I'm  goin  to  set  yer 
down  an'  give  yer  two  solid  hours  trainin'  in  manners; 
an'  'twont  be  no  foolin'  neither." 

' '  All  we've  got  ter  do  's  go  eat ! "  grumbled  Peter. 

"Well,  that's  enough,"  responded  his  mother; 
' '  there's  more  'n  one  way  of  eatin',  let  me  tell  yer,  an' 
you've  got  a  heap  ter  learn  about  it,  Peter  Buggies. 
Lord  sakes,  I  wish  you  childern  could  see  the  way  I 
was  fetched  up  to  eat — never  took  a  meal  o'  vittles  in. 
the  kitchen  before  I  married  Buggies;  but  yer  can't 
keep  up  that  style  with  nine  young  ones  'n  yer  Pa 
always  off  ter  sea." 

The  big  Buggleses  worked  so  well,  and  the  little 
Buggleses  kept  from  "  under  foot"  so  successfully, 
that  by  one  o'clock  nine  complete  toilets  were  laid 
out  in  solemn  grandeur  on  the  beds.  I  say,  "com- 
plete;" but  I  do  not  know  whether  they  would  be 
called  so  in  the  best  society.  The  law  of  compen- 
sation had  been  well  applied;  he  that  had  necktie 
had  no  cuffs;  she  that  had  sash  had  no  handkerchief, 


42  THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL. 

and  vice  versa ;  but  they  all  liad  boots  and  a  certain 
amount  of  clothing,  such  as  it  was,  the  outside  layer 
being  in  every  case  quite  above  criticism. 

"Now,  Sarah  Maud,"  said  Mrs.  Buggies,  her  face 
shining  with  excitement,  "everything  is  red  up  an'  we 
can  begin.  I've  got  a  boiler  '11  a  kettle  '11  a  pot  o'  hot 
water.  Peter,  you  go  into  the  back  bedroom,  an'  I'll 
take  Susan,  Kitty,  Peory  an'  Cornelius;  an'  Sarah 
Maud,  you  take  Clem,  n'  Eily,  n'  Larry,  one  to  a  time, 
an'  git  as  fur  as  you  can  with  'em,  an'  then  I'll  finish 
'em  off  while  you  do  yerself." 

Sarah  Maud  couldn't  have  scrubbed  with  any  more 
decision  and  force  if  she  had  been  doing  floors,  and 
the  little  Euggleses  bore  it  bravely,  not  from  natural 
heroism,  but  for  the  joy  that  was  set  before  them. 
Not  being  satisfied,  however,  with  the  "tone"  of  their 
complexions,  she  wound  up  operations  by  applying  a 
little  Bristol  brick  from  the  knife-board,  which  served 
as  the  proverbial  "last  straw,"  from  under  which  the 
little  Buggleses  issued  rather  red  and  raw  and  out  of 
temper.  "When  the  clock  struck  three  they  were  all 
clothed,  and  most  of  them  in  their  right  minds,  ready 
for  those  last  touches  that  always  take  the  most  time. 
Kitty's  red  hair  was  curled  in  thirty-four  ringlets, 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL.  43 

Sarah.  Maud's  was  braided  in  one  pig-tail,  and  Susan's 
and  Eily's  in  two  braids  apiece,  while  Peoria's  resisted 
all  advances  in  the  shape  of  hair  oils  and  stuck  out 
straight  on  all  sides,  like  that  of  the  Circassian  girl  of 
the  circus — so  Clem  said;  and  he  was  sent  into  the 
bed-room  for  it  too,  from  whence  he  was  dragged  out 
forgivingly  by  Peoria  herself,  five  minutes  later.  Then 
— exciting  moment— came  linen  collars  for  some  and 
neckties  and  bows  for  others,  and  Eureka !  the  Euggles- 
es  were  dressed,  and  Solomon  in  all  his  glory  was  not 
arrayed  like  one  of  these !  A  row  of  seats  was  formed 
directly  through  the  middle  of  the  kitchen.  There 
were  not  quite  chairs  enough  for  ten,  since  the  family 
had  rarely  all  wanted  to  sit  down  at  once,  sombody 
always  being  out,  or  in  bed,  but  the  wood  box  and  the 
coal-hod  finished  out  the  line  nicely.  The  children 
took  their  places  according  to  age,  Sarah  Maud  at  the 
head  and  Larry  on  the  coal-hod,  and  Mrs.  Euggles 
seated  herself  in  front,  surveying  them  proudly  as  she 
wiped  the  sweat  of  honest  toil  from  her  brow. 

"  "Well,"  she  exclaimed,  "  if  I  do  say  so  as  shouldn't, 
I  never  see  a  cleaner,  more  stylish  mess  o'  childern  in 
my  life !  I  do  wish  Smuggles  could  look  at  ye  for  a 
minute !  Now,  I've  of  'en  told  ye  what  kind  of  a  f  am- 


44  THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL. 

ily  the  McGrills  was.  I've  got  some  reason  to  be  proud; 
your  uncle  is  on  the  po-lice  force  o'  New  York  city; 
you  can  take  up  the  newspaper  most  any  day  an'  see 
his  name  printed  right  out — James  McGrill,  and  I  can't 
have  my  childern  fetched  up  common,  like  some  folks. 
When  they  go  out  they've  got  to  have  close,  and  learn 
ter  act  decent !  Now,  I  want  ter  see  how  yer  goin'  to 
behave  when  yer  git  there  to-night.  Lets  start  in  at 
the  beginnin'  'n  act  out  the  whole  business.  Pile  into 
the  bed-room,  there,  every  last  one  of  ye,  an'  show  me 
how  yer  goin'  ter  go  in't  the  parlor.  This'll  be  the 
parlor  'n  I'll  be  Mis'  Bird."  The  youngsters  hustled 
into  the  next  room  in  high  glee,  and  Mrs.  Kuggles 
drew  herself  up  in  her  chair  with  an  infinitely  haughty 
and  purse-proud  expression  that  much  better  suited  a 
descendant  of  the  McGrills  than  modest  Mrs.  Bird. 
The  bed-room  was  small,  and  there  presently  ensued 
such  a  clatter  that  you  would  have  thought  a  herd  of 
wild  cattle  had  broken  loose;  the  door  opened,  and 
they  straggled  in,  all  the  little  ones  giggling,  with 
Sarah  Maud  at  the  head,  looking  as  if  she  had  been 
caught  in  the  act  of  stealing  sheep;  while  Larry,  being 
last  in  line,  seemed  to  think  the  door  a  sort  of  gate  of 
heaven  which  would  be  shut  in  his  face  if  he  didn't  get 


'!    WANT   TER    SEE    HOW    YER    GOIN'    TO    BEHAVE."      Page  44. 


THE  BIKDS'  CHEISTMAS  CAEOL.  45 

there  in  time;  accordingly  he  struggled  ahead  of  his 
elders  and  disgraced  himself  by  tumbling  in  head  fore- 
most. 

Mrs.  Euggles  looked  severe.  "  There,  I  knew  yer'd 
do  it  in  some  sech  fool-way, — try  it  agin  'n  if  Larry 
can't  come  in  on  two  legs  he  can  stay  ter  home !" 

The  matter  began  to  assume  a  graver  aspect;  the  lit- 
tle Euggleses  stopped  giggling  and  backed  into  the 
bed-room,  issuing  presently  with  lock  step,  Indian  file, 
a  scared  and  hunted  expression  in  every  countenance. 

"No,  no,  no!"  cried  Mrs.  Euggles,  in  despair;  "Yer 
look  for  all  the  world  like  a  gang  o'  pris'ners;  there 
aint  no  style  ter  that;  spread  out  more,  can't  yer,  an' 
act  kind  o' careless  like — nobody's  goin' ter  kill  ye!" 
The  third  time  brought  deserved  success,  and  the 
pupils  took  their  seats  in  the  row.  "  Now,  yer  know," 
said  Mrs.  Euggles,  "there  aint  enough  decent  hats  to 
go  round,  an'  if  there  was  I  don'  know  's  I'd  let  yer 
wear  'em,  for  the  boys  would  never  think  to  take  'em 
off  when  they  got  inside — but,  anyhow,  there  aint 
enough  good  ones.  Now,  look  me  in  the  eye0  You 
need'nt  wear  no  hats,  none  of  yer,  an'  when  yer  get  int' 
the  parlor  'n  they  ask  yer  ter  lay  off  yer  hats,  Sarah 
Maud  must  speak  up  an'  say  it  was  sech  a  pleasant 


46  THE  BIBDS'  CHKISTMAS  CAEOL. 

evenin'  an'  sech  a  short  walk  that  you  left  yer  hats  to 
home  to  save  trouble.  Now,  can  you  remember?  " 

All  the  little  Ruggleses  shouted,  "Yes,  marm/'  in 
chorus. 

"  What  have  you  got  ter  do  with  it,"  demanded  their 
mother;  "  did  I  tell  you  to  say  it!  Wasn't  I  talkiii'  ter 
Sarah  Maud?"  The  little  Euggleses  hung  their  di- 
minished heads.  "Yes,  marm,"  they  piped,  more 
feebly.  "Now  git  up,  all  of  ye,  an'  try  it.  Speak  up, 
Sarah  Maud." 

Sarah  Maud's  tongue  clove  to  the  roof  of  her  mouth. 

"Quick!" 

"  Ma  thought — it  was — sech  a  pleasant  hat  that  we'd 
— we'd  better  leave  our  short  walk  to  home, "  recited 
Sarah  Maud,  in  an  agony  of  mental  effort. 

This  was  too  much  for  the  boys. 

"  Oh,  whatever  shall  I  do  with  ye  ?"  moaned  the  un- 
happy mother;  "1  suppose  I've  got  to  learn  it  to  yer!" 
which  she  did,  word  for  word,  until  Sarah  Maud 
thought  she  could  stand  on  her  head  and  say  it  back- 
wards. 

"Now,  Cornelius,  what  are  you  goin'  ter  say  ter 
make  yerself  good  comp'ny  ?" 

"Dunno!"  said  Cornelius,  turning  pale. 


THE  BIBDS'  CHBISTMAS  CABOL.  47 

"  "Well,  ye  ain't  goin'  to  set  there  like  a  bump  on  a 
log  'thont  sayin'  a  word  ter  pay  for  yer  vittles,  air 
ye  ?  Ask  Mis'  Bird  how  she's  f eelin'  this  evenin',  or  if 
Mr.  Bird's  havin'  a  busy  season,  or  somethin'  like  that. 
Now  we'll  make  b'lieve  we've  got  ter  the  dinner — that 
won't  be  so  hard,  'cause  yer '11  have  somethin'  to  do — its 
awful  bothersome  ter  stan'  round  an'  act  stylish.  If 
they  have  napkins,  Sarah  Maud  down  to  Peory  may 
put  'em  in  their  laps  'n  the  rest  of  ye  can  tuck  'em  in 
yer  necks.  Don't  eat  with  yer  fingers — don't  grab  no 
vittles  off  one  'nothers  plates;  don't  reach  out  for 
nothin',  but  wait  till  yer  asked,  'n  if  yer  never  git  asked 
don't  git  up  and  grab  it — don't  spill  nothin'  on  the 
table  cloth,  or  like's  not  Mis'  Bird  '11  send  yer  away 
from  the  table.  Now  we'll  try  a  few  things  ter  see 
how  they'll  go!  Mr.  Clement,  do  you  eat  cramb'ry 
sarse  ?" 

"Bet  yer  life!"  cried  Clem,  who,  not  having  taken  in 
the  idea  exactly,  had  mistaken  this  for  an  ordinary  fam- 
ily question. 

"Clement  Euggles,  do  you  mean  to  tell  me  that 
you'd  say  that  to  a  dinner  party  ?  I'll  give  ye  one  more 
chance.  Mr.  Clement,  will  you  take  some  of  the  cram- 
b'ry?" 


48  THE  BIEDS'  CHEISTMAS  CABOL. 

"Yes  marm,  tliank  ye  kindly,  if  you  happen  ter 
have  any  handy." 

"Very  good,  indeed!  Mr.  Peter,  do  you  speak  for 
white  or  dark  meat  ?" 

"I  ain't  particler  as  ter  color — anything  that  nobody 
else  wants  will  suit  me,"  answered  Peter  with  his  best 
air. 

"  First  rate !  nobody  could  speak  more  genteel  than 
that.  Miss  Kitty,  will  you  have  hard  or  soft  sarse  with 
your  pudden  ?" 

"A  little  of  both  if  you  please,  an'  I'm  much 
obliged,"  said  Kitty  with  decided  ease  and  grace,  at 
which  all  the  other  Kuggleses  pointed  the  finger  of 
shame  at  her  and  Peter  grunted  expressively,  that  their 
meaning  might  not  be  mistaken. 

"You  just  stop  your  gruntin',  Peter  Buggies;  that 
was  all  right.  I  wish  I  could  git  it  inter  your  heads 
that  it  aint  so  much  what  yer  say,  as  the  way  yer  say  it. 
Eily,  you  an'  Larry's  too  little  to  train,  so  you  just  look 
at  the  rest,  an'  do  's  they  do,  an'  the  Lord  have  mercy 
on  ye  an' help  ye  to  act  decent!  Now,  is  there  anything 
more  ye'd  like  to  practice  ?  " 

"If  yer  tell  me  one  more  thing  I  can't  set  up  an' 
eat,"  said  Peter,  gloomily;  "I'm  so  cram  full  o' man- 
ners now  I'm  ready  ter  bust  'thout  no  dinner  at  all." 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL.  49 

"  Me  too,"  chimed  in  Cornelius. 

"Well,  I'm  sorry  for  yer  both,"  rejoined  Mrs.  Bug- 
gies, sarcastically;  "if  the 'mount  o'  manners  yer've 
got  on  hand  now,  troubles  ye,  you're  dreadful  easy  hurt ! 
Now,  Sarah  Maud,  after  dinner,  about  once  in  so 
often,  you  must  say,  'I  guess  we'd  better  be  goin';'  an' 
if  they  say,  c  Oh,  no,  set  a  while  longer,'  yer  can  stay; 
but  if  they  don't  say  nothin'  you've  got  ter  get  up  an' 
go.  Can  you  remember  ?  " 

"  About  once  in  so  often!"  Could  any  words  in  the 
language  be  fraught  with  more  terrible  and  wearing 
uncertainty  ? 

"Well,"  answered  Sarah  Maud,  mournfully,  "seems 
as  if  this  whole  dinner  party  set  right  square  on  top  o' 
me !  Maybe  I  could  manage  my  own  manners,  but  ter 
manage  nine  mannerses  is  worse  'n  staying  to  home ! " 

"Oh,  don't  fret,"  said  her  mother,  good  naturedly, 
"I  guess  you'll  git  along.  I  wouldn't  mind  if  folks 
would  only  say,  c  Oh,  childern  will  be  childern;'  but 
they  won't.  They'll  say,  'Land  o'  Goodness,  who 
fetched  them  childern  up  ? '  Now  its  quarter  past  five; 
you  can  go,  an'  whatever  yer  do,  don't  forget  your 
mother  was  a  McGrill!" 


VI. 

"WHEN  THE  PIE  WAS  OPENED, 
THE  BIRDS  BEGAN  TO  SING!"        , 

children  went  out  the  back  door  quietly, 
and  were  presently  lost  to  sight,  Sarah  Maud 
slipping  and  stumbling  along  absent-mind- 
edly as  she  recited,  under  her  breath,  * c  It-was-such-a 
pleasant-  evenin'-  an-  sech  -a  -short- walk-we  -thought- 
we'd-4eave-our-hats-to-home. " 

I  eter  rang  the  door  bell,  and  presently  a  servant  ad- 
mitted them,  and,  whispering  something  in  Sarah's 
ear,  drew  her  downstairs  into  the  kitchen.  The  other 
Euggleses  stood  in  horror-stricken  groups  as  the  door 
closed  behind  their  commanding  officer;  but  there  was 
no  time  for  reflection,  for  a  voice  from  above  was 
heard,  saying,  "Come  right  up  stairs,  please!" 

"  Theirs  not  to  make  reply, 
Theirs  not  to  reason  why, 
Theirs  but  to  do  or  die." 

Accordingly,  they  walked  upstairs,  and  Elfrida,  the 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL.  51 

nurse,  ushered  them  into  a  room  more  splendid  than 
anything  they  had  ever  seen.  But,  oh  woe !  where  was 
Sarah  Maud  !  and  was  it  Fate  that  Mrs.  Bird  should 
say,  at  once,  "Did  you  lay  your  hats  in  the  hall?" 
Peter  felt  himself  elected  by  circumstance  the  head  of 
the  family,  and,  casting  one  imploring  look  at  tongue- 
tied  Susan,  standing  next  him,  said  huskily,  ' ( It  was 

so  very  pleasant — that — that "  "That  we  hadn't 

good  hats  enough  to  go  round,"  put  in  little  Susan, 
bravely,  to  help  him  out,  and  then  froze  with  horror 
that  the  ill-fated  words  had  slipped  off  her  tongue.  : 

However,  Mrs.  Bird  said,  pleasantly,  "Of  course 
you  wouldn't  wear  hats  such  a  short  distance — I  forgot 
when  I  asked.  Now,  will  you  come  right  in  to  Miss 
Carol's  room,  she  is  so  anxious  to  see  you  ?  " 

Just  then  Sarah  Maud  came  up  the  back-stairs,  so 
radiant  with  joy  from  her  secret  interview  with  the 
cook,  that  Peter  could  have  pinched  her  with  a  clear 
conscience,  and  Carol  gave  them  a  joyful  welcome. 
"But  where  is  Baby  Larry?"  she  cried,  looking  over 
the  group  with  searching  eye.  "  Didn't  he  come  ?  " 

' '  Larry !  Larry ! "  Good  Graciou  s,  where  was  Larry  ? 
They  were  all  sure  that  he  had  come  in  with  them,  for 
Susan  remembered  scolding  him  for  tripping  over  the 


52  THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL. 

door-mat.  Uncle  Jack  went  into  convulsions  of  laugh- 
ter. "Are  you  sure  there  were  nine  of  you?"  he 
asked,  merrily. 

"I  think  so,  sir,"  said  Peoria,  timidly;  "but,  any- 
how, there  was  Larry;"  and  she  showed  signs  of  weep- 
ing. 

"Oh,  well,  cheer  up!"  cried  Uncle  Jack.  "I 
guess  he's  not  lost — only  mislaid.  I'll  go  and  find  him 
before  you  can  say  Jack  Robinson ! " 

"I'll  go,  too,  if  you  please,  sir,"  said  Sarah  Maud, 
"for  it  was  my  place  to  mind  him,  an'  if  he's  lost  I 
can't  relish  my  vittles ! " 

The  other  Euggleses  stood  rooted  to  the  floor.  Was 
this  a  dinner  party,  forsooth;  and,  if  so,  why  were  such 
things  ever  spoken  of  as  festive  occasions  ? 

Sarah  Maud  went  out  through  the  hall,  calling, 
"Larry!  Larry!"  and  without  any  interval  of  sus- 
pense a  thin  voice  piped  up  from  below,  "  Here  I  be!" 
The  truth  was  that  Larry,  being  deserted  by  his  natural 
guardian,  dropped  behind  the  rest,  and  wriggled  into 
the  hat-tree  to  wait  for  her,  having  no  notion  of  walk- 
ing unprotected  into  the  jaws  of  a  dinner-party.  Find- 
ing that  she  did  not  come,  he  tried  to  crawl  from  his 
refuge  and  call  somebody,  when — dark  and  dreadful 


THE  BIRDS'  CHEISTMAS  CAROL.  53 

ending  to  a  tragic  day — he  found  that  he  was  too  much 
intertwined  with  umbrellas  and  canes  to  move  a  single 
step.  He  was  afraid  to  yell !  When  I  have  said  this 
of  Larry  Euggles  I  have  pictured  a  state  of  helpless 
terror  that  ought  to  wring  tears  from  every  eye;  and 
the  sound  of  Sarah  Maud's  beloved  voice,  some  seconds 
later,  was  like  a  strain  of  angel  music  in  his  ears. 
Uncle  Jack  dried  his  tears,  carried  him  upstairs,  and 
soon  had  him  in  breathless  fits  of  laughter,  while  Carol 
so  made  the  other  Kuggleses  forget  themselves  that  they 
were  soon  talking  like  accomplished  diners-out. 

Carol's  bed  had  been  moved  into  the  farthest  corner 
of  the  room,  and  she  was  lying  on  the  outside,  dressed 
in  a  wonderful  soft  white  wrapper.  Her  golden  hair 
fell  in  soft  fluffy  curls  over  her  white  forehead  and 
neck,  her  cheeks  flushed  delicately,  her  eyes  beamed 
with  joy,  and  the  children  told  their  mother,  after- 
wards, that  she  looked  as  beautiful  as  the  pictures  of 
the  Blessed  Virgin.  There  was  great  bustle  behind  a 
huge  screen  in  another  part  of  the  room,  and  at  half- 
past  five  this  was  taken  away,  and  the  Christmas  dinner- 
table  stood  revealed.  What  a  wronderful  sight  it  was 
to  the  poor  little  Euggles  children,  who  ate  their  some- 
times scanty  meals  on  the  kitchen  table!  It  blazed 


54  THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL. 

with  tall  colored  candles,  it  gleamed  with,  glass  and 
silver,  it  blushed  with  flowers,  it  groaned  with  good 
things  to  eat;  so  it  was  not  strange  that  the  Rug- 
gleses,  forgetting  that  their  mother  was  a  McGrill, 
shrieked  in  admiration  of  the  fairy  spectacle.  But 
Larry's  behavior  was  the  most  disgraceful,  for  he 
stood  not  upon  the  order  of  his  going,  but  went  at 
once  for  a  high  chair  that  pointed  unmistakably  to  him, 
climbed  up  like  a  squirrel,  gave  a  comprehensive  look 
at  the  turkey,  clapped  his  hands  in  ecstacy,  rested  his 
fat  arms  on  the  table,  and  cried,  with  joy,  "I  beat  the 
hull  lot  o'  yer ! "  Carol  laughed  until  she  cried,  giving 
orders,  meanwhile,  "  Uncle  Jack,  please  sit  at  the 
head,  Sarah  Maud  at  the  foot,  and  that  will  leave  four 
on  each  side;  Mama  is  going  to  help  Elfrida,  so  that 
the  children  need  not  look  after  each  other,  but  just 
have  a  good  time." 

A  sprig  of  holly  lay  by  each  plate,  and  nothing 
would  do  but  each  little  Buggies  must  leave  his 
seat  and  have  it  pinned  on  by  Carol,  and  as  each 
course  was  served  one  of  them  pleaded  to  take  some- 
thing to  her.  There  was  hurrying  to  and  fro,  I 
can  assure  you,  for  it  is  quite  a  difficult  matter  to  serve 
a  Christmas  dinner  on  the  third  floor  of  a  great  city 


'THE    RUGGLESES    NEVER    FORGOT    IT."     Page  55. 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL.  55 

house;  but  if  every  dish  had  had  to  be  carried  up  a  rope 
ladder  the  servants  would  gladly  have  done  so.  There 
was  turkey  and  chicken,  with  delicious  gravy  and  stuff- 
ing, and  there  were  half-a-dozen  vegetables,  with  cran- 
berry jelly,  and  celery,  and  pickles;  and  as  for  the 
way  these  delicacies  were  served,  the  Ruggleses  never 
forgot  it  as  long  as  they  lived. 

Peter  nudged  Kitty,  who  sat  next  him,  and  said, 
i '  Look,  will  yer,  ev'ry  feller's^  got  his  own  partic'lar 
butter;  I  suppose  that's  to  show  yer  can  eat  that  much 
'n  no  more.  No,  it  ain't  neither,  for  that  pig  of  a 
Peory's  just  gittin'  another  helpin ! "  "  Yes,"  whisper- 
ed Kitty,  "an'  the  napkins  is  marked  with  big  red 
letters.  I  wonder  if  that's  so  nobody  '11  nip  'em;  an' 
oh,  Peter,  look  at  the  pictures  painted  right  on  ter  the 
dishes.  Did  yer  ever! " 

"  The  plums  is  all  took  out  o'  my  cramb'ry  sarse,  an' 
it's  friz  to  a  stiff  jell! "  shouted  Peoria,  in  wild  excite- 
ment. 

' '  Hi — yah !  I  got  a  wish-bone ! "  sung  Larry,  regard- 
less of  Sarah  Maud's  frown;  after  which  she  asked  to 
have  his  seat  changed,  giving  as  excuse  that  he  gen'ally 
set  beside  her,  an'  would  "feel  strange;"  the  true 
reason  being  that  she  desired  to  kick  him  gently,  under 


56  THE  BIKDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL. 

the  table,  whenever  he  passed  what  might  be  termed 
"  the  McGrill  line." 

"I  declare  to  goodness/' murmured  Susan,  on  the 
other  side,  ' '  there's  so  much  to  look  at  I  can't  scarcely 
eat  nothin ! " 

"Bet  yer  life  I  can!"  said  Peter,  who  had  kept  one 
servant  busily  employed  ever  since  he  sat  down;  for, 
luckily,  no  one  was  asked  by  Uncle  Jack  whether  he 
would  have  a  second  helping,  but  the  dishes  were 
quietly  passed  under  their  noses,  and  not  a  single 
Buggies  refused  anything  that  was  offered  him,  even 
unto  the  seventh  time.  Then,  when  Carol  and  Uncle 
Jack  perceived  that  more  turkey  was  a  physical  im- 
possibility, the  meats  were  taken  off  and  the  dessert 
was  brought  in—  a  dessert  that  would  have  frightened 
a  strong  man  after  such  a  dinner  as  had  preceded  it. 
Not  so  the  Buggleses — for  a  strong  man  is  nothing  to  a 
small  boy — and  they  kindled  to  the  dessert  as  if  the 
turkey  had  been  a  dream  and  the  six  vegetables  an 
optical  delusion.  There  was  plum-pudding,  mince- 
pie,  and  ice-cream,  and  there  were  nuts,  and  raisins, 
and  oranges.  Kitty  chose  ice-cream,  explaining  that 
she  knew  it  "  by  sight,"  but  hadn't  never  tasted  none; 
but  all  the  rest  took  the  entire  variety,  without  any 
regard  to  consequences. 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL.  57 

' '  My  dear  child, "  whispered  Uncle  Jack,  as  lie  took 
Carol  an  orange,  "there  is  no  doubt  about  the  neces- 
sity of  this  feast,  but  I  do  advise  you  after  this  to  have 
them  twice  a  year,  or  quarterly,  perhaps,  for  the  way 
they  eat  is  positively  dangerous;  I  assure  you  I  tremble 
for  that  terrible  Peoria.  I'm  going  to  run  races  with 
her  after  dinner." 

"Never  mind,"  laughed  Carol,  "let  them  eat  for 
once ;  it  does  my  heart  good  to  see  them,  and  they  shall 
come  oftener  next  year." 

The  feast  being  over,  the  Euggleses  lay  back  in 
their  chairs  languidly,  and  the  table  was  cleared  in  a 
trice;  then  a  door  was  opened  into  the  next  room,  and 
there,  in  a  corner  facing  Carol's  bed,  which  had  been 
wheeled  as  close  as  possible,  stood  the  brilliantly  light- 
ed Christmas-tree,  glittering  with  gilded  walnuts  and 
tiny  silver  balloons,  and  wreathed  with  snowy  chains 
of  pop-corn.  The  presents  had  been  bought  mostly 
with  Carol's  story  money,  and  were  selected  after  long 
consultations  with  Mrs.  Bird.  Each  girl  had  a  blue 
knitted  hood,  and  each  boy  a  red  crocheted  comforter, 
all  made  by  Mama,  Carol  andElfrida  ("  because  if  you 
buy  everything,  it  doesn't  show  so  much  love,"  said 
Carol).  Then  every  girl  had  a  pretty  plaid  dress  of  a 


58  THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL. 

different  color,  and  every  boy  a  warm  coat  of  the  right 
size.  Here  the  useful  presents  stopped,  and  they  were 
quite  enough;  but  Carol  had  pleaded  to  give  them 
Something  "  for  fun. "  ' '  I  know  they  need  the  clothes, " 
she  had  said,  when  they  were  talking  over  the  matter 
just  after  Thanksgiving,  "but  they  don't  care  much 
for  them,  after  all.  Now,  Papa,  won't  you  please  let 
me  go  without  part  of  my  presents  this  year,  and  give 
me  the  money  they  would  cost,  to  buy  something  to 
amuse  them  ?  " 

"  You  can  have  both,"  said  Mr.  Bird,  promptly;  "is 
there  any  need  of  my  little  girl's  going  without  her 
Christmas,  I  should  like  to  know?  Spend  all  the 
money  you  like." 

"  But  that  isn't  the  thing,"  objected  Carol,  nestling 
close  to  her  father;  "it  wouldn't  be  mine.  What  is 
the  use  ?  Haven't  I  almost  everything  already,  and  am 
I  not  the  happiest  girl  in  the  world  this  year,  with  Uncle 
Jack  and  Donald  at  home  ?  Now,  Papa,  you  know  very 
well  it  is  more  blessed  to  give  than  to  receive;  then  why 
won't  you  let  me  do  it  ?  You  never  look  half  as  happy 
when  you  are  getting  your  presents  as  when  you  are 
giving  us  ours.  Now,  Papa,  submit,  or  I  shall  have 
to  be  very  firm  and  disagreeable  with  you  I" 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL.  59 

"Very  well,  your  Highness,  I  surrender." 

"  That's  a  dear  Papa !  Now,  what  were  you  going  to 
give  me  ?  Confess ! " 

"  A  bronze  figure  of  Santa  Claus;  and  in  the  little 
round  belly,  that  shakes,  when  he  laughs,  like  a  bowl 
full  of  jelly,  is  a  wonderful  clock.  Oh,  you  would 
never  give  it  up  if  you  could  see  it." 

"Nonsense,"  laughed  Carol;  "  as  I  never  have  to  get 
up  to  breakfast,  nor  go  to  bed,  nor  catch  trains,  I  think 
my  old  clock  will  do  very  well!  Now,  Mama,  what 
were  you  going  to  give  me  ?  " 

"Oh,  I  hadn't  decided.  A  few  more  books,  and  a 
gold  thimble,  and  a  smelling-bottle,  and  a  music-box." 

"Poor  Carol,"  laughed  the  child,  merrily,  "  she  can 
afford  to  give  up  these  lovely  things,  for  there  will  still 
be  left  Uncle  Jack,  and  Donald,  and  Paul,  and  Hugh, 
and  Uncle  Eob,  and  Aunt  Elsie,  and  a  dozen  other 
people." 

So  Carol  had  her  way,  as  she  generally  did,  but  it 
was  usually  a  good  way,  which  was  fortunate,  under  the 
circumstances;  and  Sarah  Maud  had  a  set  of  Miss 
Alcott's  books,  and  Peter  a  modest  silver  watch,  Cor- 
nelius a  tool-chest,  Clement  a  dog-house  for  his  "lame 
puppy,"  Larry  a  magnificent  Noah's  ark,  and  each  of 


60  THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL. 

the  little  girls  a  beautiful  doll.  You  can  well  believe 
that  everybody  was  very  merry  and  very  thankful. 
All  the  family,  from  Mr.  Bird  down  to  the  cook,  said 
they  had  never  seen  so  much  happiness  in  the  space  of 
three  hours;  but  it  had  to  end,  as  all  things  do.  The 
candles  flickered  and  went  out,  the  tree  was  left  alone 
with  its  gilded  ornaments,  and  Mrs.  Bird  sent  the 
children  down  stairs  at  half-past  eight,  thinking  that 
Carol  looked  tired. 

1 '  Now,  my  darling,  you  have  done  quite  enough  for 
one  day,"  said  Mrs.  Bird,  getting  Carol  into  her  little 
night-dress;  "  I  am  afraid  you  will  feel  worse  to-mor- 
row, and  that  would  be  a  sad  ending  to  such  a  good 
time." 

"  Oh,  wasn't  it  a  lovely,  lovely  time,"  sighed  Carol. 
"From  first  to  last,  everything  was  just  right.  I  shall 
never  forget  Larry's  face  when  he  looked  at  the  turkey; 
nor  Peter's,  when  he  saw  his  watch;  nor  that  sweet, 
sweet  Kitty's  smile  when  she  kissed  her  dolly;  nor  the 
tears  in  poor,  dull  Sarah  Maud's  eyes  when  she  thanked 
me  for  her  books;  nor " 

"But  we  mustn't  talk  any  longer  about  it  to-night," 
said  Mrs.  Bird,  anxiously;  "you  are  too  tired,  dear." 

"  I  am  not  so  very  tired,  Mama.     I  have  felt  well  all 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL,  61 

day;  not  a  bit  of  pain  anywhere.  Perhaps  this  has 
done  me  good." 

"  Perhaps;  I  hope  so.  There  was  no  noise  or  con- 
fusion; it  was  just  a  merry  time.  Now,  may  I  close 
the  door  and  leave  you  alone  ?  I  will  steal  in  softly 
the  first  thing  in  the  morning,  and  see  if  you  are  all 
right;  but  I  think  you  need  to  be  quiet." 

"  Oh,  I'm  willing  to  stay  alone;  but  I  am  not  sleepy 
yet,  and  I  am  going  to  hear  the  music  by  and  by,  you 
know." 

"Yes,  I  have  opened  the  window  a  little,  and  put 
the  screen  in  front  of  it,  so  that  you  will  not  feel  the 
air." 

"  Can  I  have  the  shutters  open;  and  won't  you  turn 
my  bed  a  little,  please  ?  This  morning  I  woke  ever  so 
early,  and  one  bright  beautiful  star  shone  in  that 
eastern  window.  I  never  saw  it  before,  and  I  thought 
of  the  Star  in  the  East,  that  guided  the  wise  men  to  the 
place  where  Jesus  was.  Good  night,  Mama.  Such  a 
happy,  happy  day!" 

' '  Good  night,  my  precious  little  Christmas  Carol — 
mother's  blessed  Christmas  child." 

"  Bend  your  head  a  minute,  mother  dear,"  whispered 
Carol,  calling  her  mother  back.  "Mama,  dear,  I  do 


62 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL. 


think  that  we  have  kept  Christ's  birthday  this  time  just 
as  He  would  like  it.     Don't  you  ?  " 

"I  am  sure  of  it,"  said  Mrs.  Bird,  softly. 


VII. 

THE   BIKDLING  FLIES  AWAY. 

Kuggleses  had  finished  a  last  romp  in  the 
library  with  Paul  and  Hugh,  and  Uncle 
Jack  had  taken  them  home,  and  stayed  a 
while  to  chat  with  Mrs.  Euggles,  who  opened  the  door 
for  them,  her  face  all  aglow  with  excitement  and  de- 
light. "When  Kitty  and  Clem  showed  her  the  oranges 
and  nuts  they  had  kept  for  her,  she  astonished  them 
by  saying  that  at  six  o'clock  Mrs.  Bird  had  sent  her  in 
the  finest  dinner  she  had  ever  seen  in  her  life;  and  not 
only  that,  but  a  piece  of  dress-goods  that  must  have 
cost  a  dollar  a  yard  if  it  cost  a  cent.  As  Uncle  Jack 
went  down  the  little  porch  he  looked  back  into  the 
window  for  a  last  glimpse  of  the  family,  as  the  children 
gathered  about  their  mother,  showing  their  beautiful 
presents  again  and  again,  and  then  upward  to  a  win- 
dow in  the  great  house  yonder.  "  A  little  child  shall 
lead  them,"  he  thought;  "well,  if if  anything  ever 


64  THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL. 

happens  to  Carol,  I  will  take  the  Buggleses  under  my 
wing." 

ei  Softly,  Uncle  Jack/'  whispered  the  boys,  as  he 
walked  into  the  library  a  little  while  later;  "  We  are 
listening  to  the  music  in  the  church.  They  sang  '  Carol, 
brothers,  carol,'  a  while  ago,  and  now  we  think  the 
organist  is  beginning  to  play  '  My  ain  countree '  for 
Carol.1' 

"I  hope  she  hears  it,"  said  Mrs.  Bird;  "but  they 
are  very  late  to-night,  and  I  dare  not  speak  to  her.  lest 
she  should  be  asleep.  It  is  after  ten  o'clock  " 

The  boy-soprano,  clad  in  white  surplice,  stood  in  the 
organ  loft.  The  lamps  shone  full  upon  his  crown  of 
fair  hair,  and  his  pale  face,  with  its  serious  blue  eyes, 
looked  paler  than  usual.  Perhaps  it  was  something 
in  the  tender  thrill  of  the  voice,  or  in  the  sweet 
words,  but  there  were  tears  in  many  eyes,  both  in  the 
church  and  in  the  great  house  next  door, 

"  I  am  far  frae  my  hame, 

I  am  weary  aften  whiles 
For  the  langed  for  hame-bringin 

An'  my  Faether's  welcome  smiles. 
An'  I'll  ne'er  be  fu'  contentj 

Until  my  e'en  do  see 
The  gowden  gates  o'  heaven 

In  my  ain  countree. 


PPSM '''In*  II  IIP' 

"MY    AIN    COUNTREE."     Page  64. 


THE  BIEDS'  CHKISTMAS  CAROL.  65 

The  earth  is  decked  wi'  flow'rs, 

Mony  tinted,  fresh  an'  gay, 
An'  the  birdies  warble  blythely, 

For  my  Faether  made  them  sae; 
But  these  sights  an'  these  soun's 

Will  as  naething  be  to  me, 
When  I  hear  the  angels  singin' 

In  my  ain  countree. 

Like  a  bairn  to  its  mither. 

A  wee  birdie  to  its  nest, 
I  fain  would  be  gangin'  noo 

Unto  my  Faether 's  breast; 
For  He  gathers  in  His  arms 

Helpless,  worthless  lambs  like  me, 
An5  carries  them  Himsel' 

To  His  ain  countree. ' ' 

There  were  tears  in  many  eyes,  but  not  in  Carol's. 
The  loving  heart  had  quietly  ceased  to  beat  and  the 
"wee  birdie"  in  the  great  house  had  flown  to  its 
"home  nest."  Carol  had  fallen  asleep!  But  as  to 
the  song,  I  think  perhaps,  I  cannot  say,  she  heard  it 
after  all ! 


So  sad  an  ending  to  a  happy  day!  Perhaps — to 
those  who  were  left — and  yet  Carol's  mother,  even  in 
the  freshness  of  her  grief,  was  glad  that  her  darling 


66  THE  BIRDS'  CHBISTMAS  CAKOL. 

had  slipped  away  on  the  loveliest  day  of  her  life,  out 
of  its  glad  content,  into  everlasting  peace. 

She  was  glad  that  she  had  gone,  as  she  had  come, 
on  wings  of  song,  when  all  the  world  was  brimming 
over  with  joy;  glad  of  every  grateful  smile,  of  every 
joyous  burst  of  laughter,  of  every  loving  thought  and 
word  and  deed  the  dear,  last  day  had  brought. 

Sadness  reigned,  it  is  true,  in  the  little  house  behind 
the  garden;  and  one  day  poor  Sarah  Maud,  with  a 
courage  born  of  despair,  threw  on  her  hood  and  shawl, 
walked  straight  to  a  certain  house  a  mile  away,  dashed 
up  the  marble  steps  and  into  good  Dr.  Bartol's  office, 
falling  at  his  feet  as  she  cried,  "  Oh,  sir,  it  was  me  an1 
our  childern  that  went  to  Miss  Carol's  last  dinner 
party,  an'  if  we  made  her  worse  we  can't  never  be 
happy  again!"  Then  the  kind  old  gentleman  took 
her  rough  hand  in  his  and  told  her  to  dry  her  tears, 
for  neither  she  nor  any  of  her  flock  had  hastened  Carol's 
flight — indeed,  he  said  that  had  it  not  been  for  the 
strong  hopes  and  wishes  that  filled  her  tired  heart,  she 
could  not  have  stayed  long  enough  to  keep  that  last 
merry  Christmas  with  her  dear  ones. 

And  so  the  old  years,  fraught  with  memories,  die, 
one  after  another,  and  the  new  years,  bright  with 


THE  BIEDS'  CHKISTMAS  CAKOL, 


67 


hopes,  are  born  to  take  their  places;  but  Carol  lives 
again  in  every  chime  of  Christmas  bells  that  peal  glad 
tidings  and  in  every  Christmas  anthem  sung  by  child- 
ish voices. 


Bss" 


Lucy  Ward  Stabbing 


